Home Grown Kale and Pumpkin Seed Salad – “A Salad For Each Week” #11

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I now have the pleasure of harvesting fresh kale from my milk crate garden.

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Last week, I made my first kale salad of the season and added one of my homegrown peppers and the pumpkin seeds we de-gutted and roasted from our pumpkin. I added some minced garlic, a spray of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice along with a a shake of pepper and salt to create this simple salad.

 

“A Salad For Each Week” Recipes:

  1. Broccoli and White Bean Salad

  2. Asian Purple Cabbage Slaw

  3. Fresh and Minty Cantaloupe and Tomato Salad

  4. Tangy Kale and Sweet Potato Bit Salad

  5. Key Lime Corn and Black Bean Salad

  6. Green Bean, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pesto Salad

  7. “So Long Summer!” Salad

  8. Pickle Salsa

  9. Gingery Broccoli and Carrot Salad

  10. Mediterranean Farro Salad

My Treat for Halloween

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Thanks to my friend Kasey for my super nutritious and delicious lunch for this Halloween day! She sent me home last night with a wonderfully stuffed acorn squash filled with kale, roasted garlic, carrots, celery, walnuts, coconut oil, and one of my favorites – goat cheese! I enjoyed every bite, and this by far beats a traditioal, candy corn-topped cupcake any day!

Your Choice

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Pumpkin Spice Scones

20131027-054853.jpgOn Saturday, the kids and I were invited over to our friend, Kasey’s house to make pumpkin scones. Anna went garage saling with Daddy, so Aleyah, Joel, and I headed on down the street to enjoy time in the kitchen with one of our favorite people! Kasey found this delicious and healthy recipe for Pumpkin Spice Scones on Victoria Laine’s website.

We made some minor changes like adding walnuts and creating a honey, coconut oil, and cinnamon glaze and also using  coconut sugar. When they were done, we sat down, sang “Happy Birthday” to Kasey (Joel’s idea- not really her birthday but we were happy to oblige!), and enjoyed these moist and super flavorful scones! Give these a try- you will not be disappointed!

Here is the recipe from her website:

2 cups             whole-grain pastry flour (Gluten-free: 1 cup each – Bob’s Red Mill *All-Purpose Flour + *Bisquit & Baking Mix)

1 1/4 cups      rolled oats (Gluten-free if needed)

1/2 cup           “natural” dry cane sugar (I use Sucanat)

Pumpkin Spice Scone

1 Tbsp              baking powder

1/4 tsp             salt

2 tsp each      ground cinnamon and ground ginger

1/4 tsp each  ground cloves and ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp             chia seeds, ground

14-oz can        pumpkin -or- sweet potato (397g)

1/2 cup            water 

1/2 cup            dried cranberries -or- raisins

1/4 cup            raw pumpkin seeds -or candied ginger (optional-for garnish)

Apple Butter (from last weeks post) -or- store bought (optional for spreading)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Grind the chia seeds. In a large mixing bowl, combine chia, flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, and dried fruit.
3.  Scoop out the can of pumpkin, and add the water to the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon mix in the moist ingredients to incorporate.
4.  Using a small handful of flour, dust a large cutting board or your counter top. With your “floured” hands pull the sides of the dough together and transfer it out onto the floured board counter. Using you hands and adding more flour as needed to keep it from sticking, fold the dough it into a large round ball. Break the dough into two pieces, flouring the counter again if needed, and form into disk-shapes. Press  or roll dough so it is about 3/4” thick.
5.  With a large knife cut the disks (being very careful not to cut the counter…or you can transfer to a floured board) into 6 pieces by cutting in half, then into thirds. Transfer each scone to the lined baking sheets.
6.  Decorate with several pumpkin seeds, or chopped candied ginger. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and serve with apple butter (optional).

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Orange is the New Black

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Carbohydrates don’t just come in shades of white and tan (i.e. bread, rice, cereal). The best carbs come from vibrant colors like orange! For instance, a 1-cup serving of sweet potato contains 27 g and 10 g of carbs are in a 1-cup serving of orange peppers. Here is why you need to switch from your pasta to a serving of orange vegetables: the orange fruits and vegetables contain four vital vitamins and minerals.

 

Beta-carotene – Associated with a decreased risk for certain diseases, including cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Beta-carotene also plays a role in regulating the growth and reproduction of cells within the body.

 

Vitamin C – Vital for the immune system to function properly and is important in collagen formation.

 

Potassium – Aides in muscle contraction, nerve function and pH regulation and has shown to lower blood pressure

 

Vitamin E – (in veggies only- not orange fruits) May help protect against chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease

The amount contained in one cup of each orange vegetable is as follows: butternut squash, 2.6 mg; sweet potato, 1.4 mg; pumpkin, 2 mg; and carrots, 1.6 mg

Read more here.

Oh My Oreo!

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Oreos are as addictive as cocaine and morphine. So that means I am not a “mean mommy” after all for keeping them from my kids!  🙂

Apples + Oranges = 3 Years

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Recent research finds that eating fruits and veggies will, on average, add three years to your life! Here’s to an additional three years of being with family, friends, and serving Jesus!

Candy Corn Popsicles

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I am always looking for ways to recreate holiday favorites. Here is our version of the token Halloween candy – the candy corn! I never hesitate to say ‘yes’ when they ask for one of these popsicles. And it’s not a happy place when we run out. 😛

4 oz vanilla dairy-free yogurt (We like coconut or cashew yogurt)
  4 oz plain dairy-free yogurt
  8 oz mango, puréed
  8 oz pineapple, puréed

Mix yogurts together. Fill popsicle molds one-third full. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Next, fill molds another third of the way with mango purée. Place in freezer again for 30 minutes. Pull molds out of freezer and top with pineapple purée. Place Popsicle sticks into molds and freeze for at least two hours. Makes about 6 popsicles.

 

Gingery Broccoli and Carrot Salad – “A Salad For Each Week” #9

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Anna is my herbivore and this salad is her all-time favorite! She will even finely cut the broccoli and then toss it all together, leaving me with little work to do. 🙂 I like to make our own Asian ginger dressing because the store-bought ones are soybean oil- based (which soy ranks high on the GMO chart) and it has additional preservatives that I’d rather not have around. All the ingredients get tossed into the blender so any cutting that you do is minimal. I found the copycat recipe of Benihana’s dressing on http://www.topsecretrecipes.com. I subsitute honey for the sugar and use organic ketchup and a non-msg soy sauce.

 

Gingery Broccoli and Carrot Salad

  • 1 head broccoli, finely chopped

  • 2 cups shredded carrots

  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup Asian Ginger dressing (recipe below)

Place all ingredients together in a large bowl and gently mix.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

 

Asian Ginger Dressing

½

cup minced onion

½

cup peanut oil

cup rice vinegar

2

tablespoons water

2

tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2

tablespoons minced celery

2

tablespoons ketchup

4

teaspoons soy sauce

2

teaspoons sugar

2

teaspoons lemon juice

½

teaspoon minced garlic

½

teaspoon salt

¼

teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is pureed. Chill.

“A Salad For Each Week” Recipes:

  1. Broccoli and White Bean Salad

  2. Asian Purple Cabbage Slaw

  3. Fresh and Minty Cantaloupe and Tomato Salad

  4. Tangy Kale and Sweet Potato Bit Salad

  5. Key Lime Corn and Black Bean Salad

  6. Green Bean, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pesto Salad

  7. “So Long Summer!” Salad

  8. Pickle Salsa

Support the Arts – Matching $ until Noon Tomorrow!

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My girls are blessed enough to be part of the Space Coast Ballet! Each year, they dance in The Nutcracker which is large and extensive production here on the east coast. The costumes and sets are from Russia and, after 12 years, they are beginning to show their age. We are trying to raise money to began replacing some of these. Click here to donate if you wish, and there is matching money (up to $250) until Wednesday at noon. So your $5 quickly becomes $10 and your $10 becomes $20! Thanks for reading 🙂